Which states have legal sports betting? All 50 states in 2026, and where prediction markets fill the gap
Sports betting is legal in 39 states and Washington, DC, as of October 2026: 31 states and DC allow online betting and eight are retail only. Eleven states, including California and Texas, have none. The full state list, the newest launches, what is on the November ballot, and where CFTC-regulated prediction markets offer sports contracts instead.
In this article
Sports betting is legal in 39 states and Washington, DC. In 31 states plus DC you can bet online; in 8 more it is limited to casinos or retail locations; and 11 states, including the two biggest, California and Texas, have no legal sports betting at all. In many of those, CFTC-regulated prediction markets now offer sports contracts instead.
As of 25 October 2026, based on state laws and launches tracked by CBS Sports and others.
Source: State laws; CBS Sports, 23 October 2026
Show the dataHide the data
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Online and retail | 31 |
| Retail only | 8 |
| Not legal | 11 |
States with legal online sports betting (31 + DC)
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (through the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet), Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, DC.
States with retail-only sports betting (8)
Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. In these states you bet at a casino, tribal venue or licensed location.
States with no legal sports betting (11)
Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
What changed recently
- Missouri launched legal sports betting on 1 December 2025, after voters approved it in 2024.
- Wisconsin passed a law in April 2026 allowing online betting through its tribes; it has not launched yet.
- Nebraska votes on 3 November 2026 on ballot measures that would allow online sports betting.
- South Dakota's online betting proposal died in committee again.
- Puerto Rico has had legal online betting since 2023.
Where prediction markets fill the gap
Kalshi, Polymarket US and Fanatics Markets are regulated federally by the CFTC, so they operate in many states with no legal sportsbook, including California, Texas and Georgia. They are also fighting states that do license sportsbooks, several of which say their sports contracts are illegal betting:
| State | Sportsbooks | Prediction markets |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Illegal | Kalshi, Polymarket US and Fanatics available (details) |
| California | Illegal | Available; Kalshi blocks three tribes' lands (Polymarket in California) |
| Georgia | Illegal | Available (Polymarket in Georgia) |
| Florida | Hard Rock Bet only | Available (Polymarket in Florida) |
| Nevada | Legal since 1949 | Blocked by court orders (Polymarket in Nevada) |
| Michigan | Legal online | Kalshi's sports contracts blocked; Polymarket contested (Polymarket in Michigan) |
| New York | Legal online | Available, but the state is suing (Polymarket in New York) |
Two federal appeals courts have ruled that states can enforce their gambling laws against these contracts, and one has ruled the other way, so the Supreme Court may settle it (Kalshi and the Supreme Court; is Kalshi legal in your state?).
Sportsbook or prediction market?
| Sportsbook | Prediction market | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | State gaming commission | Federal CFTC |
| Who you bet against | The house, which sets the odds | Other traders |
| Minimum age | Usually 21 | 18 on Kalshi and Polymarket US |
| Can you sell before the game ends? | Cash-out offers | Yes, at the market price |
| Cost | Margin built into the odds | Explicit trading fee |
More on the differences: is Kalshi gambling? · betting exchanges explained.
Legal sports betting states: frequently asked questions
How many states have legal sports betting?
39 states and Washington, DC, as of October 2026; 31 of them and DC allow online betting.
Which states do not allow sports betting?
Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
What was the most recent state to launch sports betting?
Missouri, on 1 December 2025.
Can I bet on sports in California or Texas?
Not with a sportsbook. CFTC-regulated prediction markets offer sports contracts in both states.
